Consecutive F1 wins beckon for Fernando Alonso in Bahrain GP

After securing his first win of the F1 campaign with a dominant performance in the Chinese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso will be one of the happier drivers on the grid to be heading to a Bahrain GP where both he and the constructor of his vehicle are the most successful in the races short history. The Spaniard is 9/4 to register a second consecutive victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix Circuit, whilst it’s 7/4 that the winning career is a Ferrari.

The Maranello-based constructor has readied four winning cars since the race’s inception in 2004, scoring courtesy of Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa (twice) and Alonso himself back in 2010.

Red Bull – their chief rival for winning constructor in Bahrain at 15/8 with Coral – have had their challenge hit with a five-place grid penalty for driver Mark Webber awarded retrospectively for infringements perpetrated in China.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel took the race last year and is fractionally longer than Alonso for this year’s race at 5/2.

Alonso took the chequered flag twice on the Sakhir Grand Prix Circuit – which will be used once more in this year’s race – and also scored on the Sakhir Endurance Circuit back in 2010.

Ferrari’s tyre management – along with their strategic nous – was one the underpinning aspects of their success in China and with Pirelli not due to reassess their products until after the race in Bahrain their handle on management of the rubber could see them steal a march on their foes once more.

The Sakhir Grand Prix Circuit’s combination of high temperatures and long breaking distance corners means that it’s a huge test of a driver’s physical endurance meaning the fitter drivers can come to the fore in Bahrain. With that in mind 2009 winner Jenson Button – a gifted endurance runner and triathlete in his spare time – is respected in Coral’s podium finish market at a healthy 6/1 in the wake of a much improved fifth place last time out.